Hi, the Cat In The Hat!
While I'm not a VCE student,
Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books at the moment. I'm still reading it so my perspective of the novel may not be complete but as a literature-geek, I usually love the novel a lot more than any film adaptations. Since I'm still reading the novel, I'm planning to watch the film adaptations after rather than before I finish as I would like to gain a perspective on both perspectives, rather than just one jumble of both (if that makes sense).
Personally, my favourite quotes from
Pride & Prejudice would have to be: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" and "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
I love how Austen constructs the concept of "love" to be an intangible mess rather than a "linear" and "fairytale-like" phenomenon of love at first sight. For me, love is all about "quality" rather than "quantity" — rather than falling head over heels for a guy that Elizabeth a) just met and b) seems to be the "attractive" suitor that the Georgian audience would want her to marry, Elizabeth asserts her "pride" and makes a misjudgement on Darcy, as a character.
While I don't necessarily support the idea of misjudging people based on their appearance or personal beliefs, I'm actually glad that Austen constructed her narrative for both of the characters to explore whether their love is mutual and the "intimacy" that grows between them throughout the narrative. Throughout Austen's novels, her construction of the concept of "love" enables the themes of independence and agency to be foregrounded throughout
Pride & Prejudice. Yes, both of the title characters make assumptions about each other in terms of their class, wealth and appearance but in the end, it is ultimately the escapism of the social hierarchies and Georgian attitudes that enable their love for each to "flourish" throughout the novel.
Furthermore, Austen establishes the idea that the "heart" of love does not always necessarily connote to the often cliché attitudes and assumptions of marriage and intimacy. Rather, Austen implies that love is a force separate from society and one that can conquer even the most difficult of circumstances. In terms of the quotations of
Pride and Prejudice, I love the quotes mentioned above because as of today, I rarely see the "characterisation" of relationships in novels (especially in Teen/Young Adult fiction), as they always jump on the "bandwagon" of love at first sight and live a happily ever after. Seeing these assumptions and attitudes reversed in proto-feminist texts really makes me squeal as I'm in love with the idea of how those "small" gestures of a smile, quick glances and a "helping hand" are transformed into something bigger than the clichés that usually dictate fiction.
Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind a cliché or a stereotype every once in a while, but it's just when the clichés and stereotypes dictate the supposed "purpose" of the novel, rather than the construction of themes/concepts/ideas, the significance of the construction/deconstruction of the cultural attitudes and assumptions, as well as the events of the narrative itself.
Hopefully, this helps
Have a great week and kind regards,
Darcy Dillon.